Flying-machine.



J. & P. CORNU.

FLYING MAGHINB.

APPLIoATIoN PILBIJ snm'. 11, 190e.

902,859. Patented Nov.3,19os.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. L P. GORNU.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLIoATwN funn 5511111.19011.

902,859. Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

TIC-:P41 a SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. d: P. GORNU.

FLYING MACHINE.

APPLICATION rILnn B11111141. 190e.

902,859. Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

S SHEETS-SHEET BA FlGtpt a .x w y l), 1.x j

for stecringbymeans of the adjustable planes 'steering part being in" the position required JULES CORNU AND PAUL C ATENT OFFICE.

ORNU, OF LSIEUX, FRANCE.

FLYING-MACHINE.

' Specification of Lettera Patents,

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

Application led September 11, 1906. Serial No. 834.171.

To all whom 'it may concer/n:

Be it known that we, JULES Connu and PAUL Connu, citizens of the Republic of France, residing at Lisieux, Calvados, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flying-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a flying machine in which the volume of air displaced by the propelling and supporting part, such as a screw propeller or a turblne, is utilized by acting on planes arranged at an adjustable angle below, or at the back of, the said part, for the purpose of either only propelling lthe machine, or both of propelling and supportino` it.

*ik flying machine or apparatus according to this invention also comprises a pendulum system which enables the equilibrlum to be automatically insured; a device enablin the adjustable propelling planes to be uti ized for steering and turning; and nally, driving gear which enables several screw ropel- Iers to be driven bv means of a sing e endless belt. v

In the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 shows diagrammatic-.ally an elevation of a flying apparatus embodying the invention in which the inclined propelling planes are arranged below screw propellers rotating horizontally and acting as su porting parts. Fig. 2 shows dia rammatically the same apparatus in end e eration. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of another construction of such an apparatus in which a vertically rot-ating screw-propeller, acti as a propelling art, is combined with inc ined planes whxc in this case support the apparatus. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic View in elevation of a oonstruction of the ap aratus shown in Fig. 1, and provided in addition with devices for automatically maintaining the equilibrium,

and for drivlng by means of a single belt, the apparatus being shown in a normal working position. Fig. 5 is a` plan corres onding to Fig. 4 and showing more artcu arly the arrangement of the ropel ing planes for steering in a straight ine. Fig. 6 is a view similar to that shown in Fig. 4, the apparatus being shown in an inclined position. Fig. 7 'is a plan corresponding to Flg. 6, the'A for' turning. Fig. 8 isa v artial elevation of the apparatus s hovvn in 10's. 4 to 7, chiefly l showing the d rivmgr gear. Fig. 9 isa plan corresponding toFig.- 8, the metal frame and the screw propellers being removed.

According to the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the apparatus comprises one or more screw propellers a` with vertical spindles, rotating in the cross beams of a frame b which is secured to the frame carrying the motor and the aeronauts. Below the said pro ellers, that is to say, near their driving sur ace, are arranged planes e of a length equal to' the .diameter of the propel- 1ers, mounted at the endsby means of hinge pins d, suitably guided by and connected to levers e pivoted centrally on pins f secured to the frame b; the Whole of the planes c forms a kind of louverV with ivoted blades, the inclination of which can be modified by means of a lever g secured to the ivot pin of the central lever e. The ysaid ever g is provided with a locking device coperating with a segment or quadrant h for maintaining the planes c inany desired position. The said lever .g could, of course, be re laced by any other suitable part, capable of ringing about the inclination of the planes c 1n the two directions. The planes c leave between them intervals through which the air. driven under pressure by the propellers n. is forced to pass.v

The working isas follows z-Taking the apparatus at the moment of starting, the )lanes c are then in a vertical position. he ropellers n being operated by the motor, tlie. whole apparatus ris'es vertically, the lanes c offering to the current. of air prouced by the propellers a. only their edges, so that they do not oder any obstacle to the propulsion and do not absorb any ascensional power. The apparatus havlng 4been caused to rise, if it is desired to advance, while keepin on the same level', it is sufficient to inc ine theplanes c so that the current of air produced by the propellers, should act on them and drive them in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1 in the same way as the air actin on the blades of a windmill, with the yxierence, however, that the advance is in a straight line, instead of being circular. In this construction of the appa` ratus, the steering may be effected by a rudder z of suitable construction. By manipulating the lanes c the following different bases of t e working of the a paratus can e obtained. 1. Tlieplanes c being in vertical position, the thrust of air on the `same is equal to zero, and the propellers uct alone less, the a ingt and raise the apparatus. 2. The lanes c being inclined, their action brin 5.a ont the propulsion of the apparatus, t e speed of the horizontal movement of which will vary according as their inclinationis greater or paratus being at the same time supported y the working of the propellers. 3. 'lhe planes c being placed in such manner as to close the passa e to the air dis laced by the ropellers e, te ascensional e ort of the said) propellers will be counteracted, and the apparatus will descend like a parachute. 4. The planes c beinglinclined 1n the position opposite to that consi ered above under clause 2, they first act as a brake and then drive the apparatus backwards, thus forming a reverslng gear. All the above results are obtained without modifying in the least either the speed, or the direction of rotation, of the ropellers.

In tie construction of an apparatus acc'ording to this invention shown in Fig. 3, the pivoted planes c are arranged at the back of one or more propellers a rotating vertically, that is to say, having horizontal spindles. This arrangement enables the thrust of the pro ellers'on the air to be simultaneously uti ized for supporting and propelling the apparatus.

The construction shown in Figs. 4, 5, (5 and 7, first of all, comprises a device for enabling the equilibrium of the apparatus during its working to be automatically insured. This device or system consists in arranging below the supportin propellers a, either ehind the adjustable p anes c or in frames independent of those of the adjustable planes c, blades j which are normally arranged at a right angle to the longitudinal axis of the apparatus, and mounted on the sidesrof their supports k, Z, so as to pivot at the ends, in the center of their width. The said blades j are connected together at their longitudinal edges by rods, chains or cables m n constituting, with the transverse sides of the said blades j, a kind of arallelogram with multiple elements hinge to each other.

vOne o f the cables, the cable m, is connected to the endulum rod of a weight o suspended to tiie frame p, the other cable Yn being connected to a spring Ilhaving a tendency to bring the blades j back into their initial position, that is to say, into a position at right angles to the horizontal plane of the frames k l forming their brackets or sup orts. Stops g enable the said blades j to e maintained in their initial position against the action of the s rings r. The yvorking of this pendulum evice is as folows.

The apparatus being arranged horizontally as shown in Fig. It, the wei hts o are at right angles to4 a iorizontal p ane assnough the two frame c Z. lt fo lows therefrom that the chains connecting respectively the said weights to the corresponding blades j of the said frames, do not exercise any traction on the blades which remain vertical and at right angles to the said frames. In this position when the ropellers a are rotating, the air driven by tiiem passes freely through the blades j Without any action on the latter, but acts merely on the adjustable planes c for the purposes of propulsion.

lf the apparatus is inclined as shown in Fig. 6, the weights 0 having the tendency to maintain thelr vpendulum rods in vertical position, one of them will pull the corresponding chain m, the result of which will be that the blades j situated at that end of the apparatus which is the highest at that moment, will be inclined. During this action, the bladesj on the opposite frame remain at a right angle to it, owing to the action of the corresponding spring which lice )s them against the fixed stop g.

rllhe blades j which are inclined, forni then on their frame, a. panel with intervals of a greater or smaller section, which. aord passage only to a portion of the air driven by thc corresponding propeller, so that, the raising power of the .said propeller being reduced, the raising of the corresponding end of the apparatus is delayed relatively to the other end, at which the air, driven by the propeller situated at that side, does not. meet any resistance from the blades j which remain straight. This difference in the raising action of the propellers a results, therefore, in raising the end of the apparatus which at that moment is the lowest, and in thus automatically restablishing longitudinal e uilibrium of the said apparatus by the working of the pendulum weights o.

Although the s ecial shape of the whole frame carrying t e parts of the apparatus tends normally to preserve transverse equilibrium, the said e uilibrium might also be insured by means ogsome device with blades, automatically inclined by pendulum weights. In that case, the blades would work ir: frames arranged at each side of the central vertical plane of the apparatus. v

A sin le pendulum weight mounted by means o a ball joint in the center of the aparatus, could simultaneously operate tie lades arranged at the front and at the back of the apparatus, as well as at the sides.

The system of blades j ex osed to the action of the pendulum weig its o acts independently of the dgear which operates the planes c as desire The construction of apparatus shown in Figs. 4 to 7 also com rises, a device enablinllg the adjustable pro e ing planes o to be ut' ized for steering t e apparatus. This device consists in pivoting the frames k l to which the blades c j are pivoted, about the sockets in which rotate the spindles of the propel- 1ers a. By this arrangement by connecting the f rames k l by levers .s t and a rod u crossing the lon tudinal sectional plane of the apparatus, a orizontal oscillating movement may be simultaneously transmitted to the said frames k Z by any desired means. The working of this steering device is as follows V The two frames la Zbeing positioned as a continuation of the axis of the apparatus, as shown in Fig. 4, the traction produced by the adjustable lanes c, is rectilinear, and the steering is e ected in a straight line. In order to turn, it is suiicient to act on the rod u so as to pivot the two frames l towards the saine side of the apparatus, as shown in Fig. 6. The air driven by the propellers a, acting then on the said planes c in an oblique direction relatively to the central plane of the apparatus, the result will be that the latter will be given a turning propelling movement.

The suspension of the pendulum weights o, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6, under the hinge pins of the frames L" l, enables the said weights, as well as the blades j operated by them, to be independent of the steering movement transmitted to the said frames lc l. It is not absolutely indispensable that both frames A: l should be hin ed for the purpose of steering, it will be su cient to pivot only one of them, either that in front, or that at' the back, the other one remaining fixed. Moreover, the equilibrium blades j may be controlled by the aeronaut at will, the object of the pendulum Weights o being merely to straighten the apparatus automatically.

The construction of apparatus shown in Figs. 8 and 9, comprises adriving gear which enables several pro 11ers to be operated by a single endless be t. This system consists in the rotary movement being im arted to the two propellers a with vertica spindles by a single crossed endless belt r, one of the halves of which after having passed over the corresponding guide pulleys w and y with horizontal spindles, passes round a driving pulley s operated by a suitable motor.

One of the guide pulleys, either w or is mounted on a pivoted hand lever w w ich acts as a stretching gear, in order to enable the belt o to be stretched or slackened, and consequently the motor to be thrown in and out of gear.

The drivinv gear parts are supported in their given re ative worki positions, by a metal frame connected to t e frame p and constructed to suit the power and type of the motor.

whereby perfect steadiness of the atter is insured. Moreover, this arrangement enables rotary movement to be imparted to the propellers a in opposite directions by means of their respective pulleys,' whereby all gyrating movement ot' the whole of the apparatus is obviated, and its support or propulsion insured. In addition to the above mentioned advantage, this gear enables the ropellers to be driven with a constant spee in spite of any slip that might take place on the drivin pulley. Moreover, this system enables s ocks to be avoided at starting.

The relative positions of the motor, propellers a and guide pulleys m y may, of course, be varied, the essential point being that the axes of the motor and those of the said guide pulleys m y should be horizontal, and those of the propellers a vertical.

What We claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a flying machine and in combination a propeller, means to rotate the same, a series of planes arranged relatively to the propeller across and at right angles to the path of the air currents set up by said propeller, means to vary the inclination of said planes relatively to said path in one direction to raise lower and pro el the machine, and means to vary the inc ination of said planes in another direction to steer said machine.

2. In a flying machine and in combination a propeller mounted to rotate on a vertical axis, a series of lanes beneath the ropeller, means to vary t e inclination of tl-ie planes relatively to the propeller to raise lower and i ropel said machine and means to vary the inclination of some of said planes in another direction relatively to the propeller to steer the machine.

3. In a flying machine and in combination a frame, a propeller mounted therein to rotate on a vertical axis, a series of planes mounted below the pro ller so as to be movable to vary their inc ination horizontally relatively to the `propeller and a second `series of blades automatically controlled so as to normally maintain for the purpose described a vertical position.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing ,witnesses JULES CORNU. PAUL CORNU. Witnesses:

JEAN Romimrr, H. C. Coxn. 

